“We’re not going to lose another game.”

That was the heady promise from Spartan Head Coach Jeff Rouser after Bainbridge’s two-game win streak in varsity football was snapped last Friday by Lakeside.

The final score was 35-28 in a heartbreaking home loss to the Lions.

Now, the Spartans are hitting the road for a trip to the Eastside and a Friday Night date with the Sammamish Totems. And a promise made may actually be a promise kept tonight.

Sammamish comes into the game at 3-2 (2-1 in league play), and tonight’s matchup will be the Totems’ second home game of the season. And it’s also Homecoming Night.

It’s been a streaky and unpredictable year so far for Sammamish.

The Totems’ first three games have been blowouts: a 41-2 opening win on the road against Kingston; a 46-12 loss against Interlake for the Crossroads Cup; then a 60-14 loss to Liberty on the Patriots’ home field in Issaquah.

The Totems have won two in a row, both nail-biters: a 19-18 win against Franklin two weeks ago, and a 15-14 home win over Ingraham last Friday.

One thing’s for certain in this Spartan-Totem matchup: Sammamish is going to air it out. A lot.

Totem quarterback Coby Akana (junior, 5-11, 158) has tossed for 1,198 yards this year and 13 touchdowns. He’s connected on 84-of-126 pass attempts, with seven interceptions, and is averaging 239.6 passing yards a game (QB rate 108.5).

In last week’s thriller against the Rams, he tossed for 312 yards.

But what will the Spartans do about the Sammamish rushing threat?

Huh? Did we just say “threat”?

This is the Totems we’re talking about. The run has been nearly nonexistent this year for Sammamish, as the Totems are averaging 26.8 rushing yards a game this season.

Let’s look back, then, at the Totems’ receiving corps.

Tao Mcclinton (senior, 6’4, 202) is the Totems’ go-to receiver. He leads the team with 588 receiving yards this year, with 36 catches and seven touchdowns. His average is above the century mark for each game (117.6 receiving yards), and he’s coming off his best game of the season (nine catches, 166 yards and one touchdown against the Rams).

Next best is Brandon Zanders (junior, 6-1, 180). Zanders is averaging 49.2 receiving yards a game, and has pulled in two touchdown catches this year.

Ryan Hervey (sophomore, 6’3, 170) has played in fewer games, but is averaging 49.8 yards of receiving per game this year, with two touchdown receptions, the last coming against Ingraham last Friday.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.